8 Tips for Managing Your Team Effectively

The role of a manager isn’t always smooth sailing. At the beginning of your career it’s likely that you were purely responsible for your work alone; when you become a leader, it is now your duty to inspire, lead, and motivate your team to accomplish a set of goals for the organisation.

Not everyone is going to be easy to work with and ensuring everything is running without a hitch can often prove a challenge.

So how can you go about being a great manager who display authority and leadership, at the same time as maintaining respect from their peers? Here are a few of our top tips for effective management.

1) Maintain good communication

Employees want to be kept in the loop about ongoing projects, goals and deadlines, so it’s essential that you communicate well with them and inform them about goings on within the organisation. It’s also important that you encourage feedback and that your staff feel that they can approach you about any questions or issues they want to address, so making yourself accessible to your staff is key.

2) Build positive working relationships

It’s important to get to know members of your team individually, not only on a professional level, but on a more personal level too. When you put the effort in to get to know a bit more about how your colleagues are doing and what they are interest in, it will build a much better rapport among the team.

3) Acknowledge good work

Don’t be one of these bosses who only provides feedback when you’ve got something to criticise! By providing your staff with positive feedback it will help to build their confidence and encourage them to get more involved in the future, so it’s vital that you acknowledge their achievements and the effort that they are putting in. Encourage creativity and ensure that everyone is clear about what is expected of them.

4) Be real

Your team don’t expect you to be superhuman, so if you’re feeling the pressure and need a helping hand, don’t be afraid to admit it and if you make a mistake, own up! By showing the human side of yourself and allowing your staff to get to know you a bit better, your staff will feel more relaxed and comfortable approaching you.

5) Be decisive

A good leader needs to be able to assert their authority and make important decisions for the team. There is no space for flakiness in a leadership role, so it’s crucial that you stick to your guns and go with what you feel is best the business.

6) Delegate jobs to the right people

Part of why it is important that you establish a relationship with your team and get to know them individually is so you can assess what their personal strengths are. People perform better and are more engaged in roles where they feel they are employing their best skills, so delegating suitable roles that suit each individual will have a significant impact on the productivity of the team.

7) Manage conflict

When there is conflict in the workplace, it should not be ignored. Turning a blind eye could lead to a negative atmosphere, which could have implications for staff productivity and communication among the team may suffer. When an issue arises it’s important that it is addressed straight away before it builds.

8) Set a good example

Your staff will look to you for guidance and inspiration, so it’s essential that you set a good example in order to gain their respect. If you expect them to behave professionally and commit to their work, it’s important that you do so yourself. Make sure that you are doing your job, continuing to develop your career and support your team in doing so too.